A Time After Apocalypse: Generation Two
by Lynn Daye
Summary: After Apocalypse was defeated, it was expected that the XMen would take a little vacation from being The XMen. But who ever expected that 20 years later would be the earliest the whole team got back together? T to be safe.
1. Introductions?

**_A time After Apocalypse: Generation Two_**

After Apocalypse was defeated, it was expected that the X-Men would take a little vacation from being The X-Men. But who ever expected that 20 years later would be the earliest the whole team got back together?

Most of the X-Men have had children and are happy. No twist you say, think again. The second generation of X-Men is not aware of their powers. Only I (and now you people) know (because I'm writing this.)

_The Summers's _(The obvious couple…)

Scott and Jean. Yes, almost immediately after the defeat of Apocalypse, they got hitched in Hawaii. They thought that Hawaii was great (Scott being close to Alex and all) so they bought a house and everything. They even have a family.

Scott Summers- Now works as a substitute teacher at the local high school.

Jean Summers- Now works as a physics teacher at the local high school.

Rachel Summers- **Family: **daughter to Scott and Jean; **Powers: **inherited Jean's telepathy and telekinesis and also has the ability to project her own or someone else's astral self through time; **Age: **16; **Height: **5'6" **Favorite Brand Name: **Abercrombie and Fitch; **Favorite Band: **Queen; **Likes: **shopping, volleyball; **Dislikes: **bugs, anything involving the staining of clothing; **Looks Most Like: **Jean

Harrison Summers- **Family: **son to Scott and Jean; **Powers: **inherited Scott's optical beams and also has the ability to generate magnetic pulses causing electronic glitches; **Age: **13; **Height: **5'0"; **Favorite Brand Name: **American Eagle; **Favorite Band: **Sean Paul; **Likes:** sports, girls; **Dislikes: **annoying parents, curfews; **Looks Most Like: **Scott

_The Lebeau's _(Another obvious couple…)

Remy and Rouge. Again, almost immediately after Apocalypse was defeated they got married. Wanting children like almost any couple, Rouge had a sperm donation from Remy. (No touching at all, good deal, for Remy.) So, Rogue ended up pregnant and had a C-Section. (I think if the kid would've come out naturally, it would've been affected by Rogue's powers.)

Remy and Rogue now live in Louisiana because of all of the 'fun' they had down there and to be close to Remy's family. They also have a child, a daughter.

Remy is now a salesperson for a major fireworks corporation. (Fits don't it?)

Rogue is a stay-at-home mom and goes by the name 'Marie Lebeau.'

Brie Lebeau- **Family: **only child to Remy and Rogue; **Powers: **inherited Remy's kinetic charges and can fly; **Age: **15; **Height: **5'2"; **Favorite Brand Name: **Anything Hot topic; **Favorite Band: **Mest (which is my favorite band!); **Likes: **Gothic/punk stuff, learning French (her name's French); **Dislikes: **Preppy people, American football; **Looks Most Like: **Rogue but with Remy's eyes

_The _(former) _Rasputin's _(Not so obvious…)

Piotr (Peter) and Kitty. After defeating Apocalypse, the two grew quite close and got married in Russia (by Peter's family). They resided in Illinois for eight years, in which time they had a son. But, sadly, things didn't work out. They divorced, Peter, taking their son with him back to Russia when his son was five. Their son now spends time both in Illinois and Russia.

Peter now works as a pharmacist.

Kitty works in sales at a computer company.

Peter, Jr. Rasputin- **Family: **Only child to Peter and Kitty; **Powers: **inherited Peter's strength and metal; **Age: **17(almost 18); **Height: **6'6"; **Favorite Brand Name: **Element; **Favorite Band: **Aerosmith; **Likes: **soccer, learning Russian (he's pretty fluent); **Dislikes: **cocky people, people who say 'gay' constantly; **Built: **very well, very muscular for his age (just like his dad); **Looks Most Like: **Peter, actually he looks just like his dad

_The Alvers's _(Obvious…)

Lance and Kitty. They've been married since things didn't work out between Peter and Kitty. Lance accepts Peter Jr. like his own son, but it's obvious they're not blood relatives. (Peter Jr. is a faire three inches taller than Lance.)

Lance works for a landscaping company. (Perfect huh?)

Kitty (_see above for details…)_

John Alvers- **Family: **son to Lance and Kitty; **Powers: **not sure yet… **Age: **13; **Height: **5'4"; **Favorite Brand Name: **Buckle; **Favorite Band: **Panic! At The Disco; **Likes: **fixing mechanics like cars, riding bikes with friends; **Dislikes: **being inside for too long, Geometry; **Looks Most Like: **Lance, but with Kitty's skin tone

Janelle Alvers- **Family: **daughter to Lance and Kitty; **Powers: **inherited Kitty's phasing abilities, appears she doesn't have to breathe underwater; **Age: **11;

**Height: **4'11"; **Favorite Brand Name: **None, enjoys many different stores; **Favorite Band: **Ashlee Simpson; **Likes: **shopping with friends, doodling; **Dislikes: **older brother, The Bee gee's; **Looks Most Like: **Kitty, but with Lance's skin tone

_The Wagner's _(Obviously…)

Kurt and Amanda. The two continued to date for two years after Apocalypse was defeated, until they finally wed close to the X-Mansion. However, many X-Men couldn't attend, due to their new families.

Kurt continues to wear his hologram watch (which has yet to fail him) and works as a paleontologist in Germany.

Amanda is happy with her job with the local news station as a reporter.

Stephen Wagner- **Family: **son to Kurt and Amanda; **Powers: **inherited Amanda's power of being totally human (it was fifty-fifty); **Age: **15; **Height: **5'7"; **Favorite Brand Name: **(I don't know any German clothing companies! Sorry!); **Favorite Band: **Green Day; **Likes: **being outdoors, learning English (very fluent); **Dislikes: **being a slow typer, Track and Field); **Looks Most Like: **Amanda

Martin Wagner- **Family: **son to Kurt and Amanda; **Powers: **inherited Kurt's transportation; **Age: **12; **Height: **5'1"; **Favorite Brand Name: **(_see above)_; **Favorite Band: **None, likes many different bands; **Likes: **seeing new places, hiking; **Dislikes: **blood and guts, Anatomy; **Looks Most Like: **Amanda

Now, you're probably wondering _"Why don't these kids know about their powers?"_ (As was stated earlier.) Professor X doesn't want them to. He's using his telepathy to somehow temporarily suppress their powers. (Their parents, however, still have total use of their powers.)

A problem has come about though. Professor X is a powerful mutant, but even he cannot suppress seven mutant children for fifteen or more years. As their powers grow and manifest, it gets harder and harder. But, he has an idea. (Like always, thank goodness.) He'll bring all of the X-Men and their children to the Mansion and explain everything to them. Before things get _too _out of hand…

That's all for the introduction. Sorry, I know it was just getting good. (Lol!) Please review this and tell me what you really think, but keep in mind that this is my first story!


	2. Vacation?

_**A Time After Apocalypse: Generation Two, Chapter Two**_

We'll now observe the strangely normal lives of our X-Men. Don't get to close, one bite could prove fatal[As you can probably tell, I like to add what I think is humor to the beginnings of my stories.

_Onward to the Rasputin household in Russia!_

Peter Jr. was packing his several many suitcases, he would be leaving for his mom's house in Illinois very early the next morning.

"Almost ready Peter?" His dad stuck his head into his son's room and called.

"I guess." Peter replied. He felt guilty about leaving his dad alone for yet another summer, but he needed some time with is mom and his half siblings. He missed his little sister, Janelle, terribly. She was just so cute.

"So, what're you going to do when you get over there?" his father asked.

"I don't know…probably hang out with some of my old friends…maybe toss the pig skin around a bit…" Peter Jr. said, looking anywhere but into his dad's blue eyes.

_No, you can't let him do anything physical! Peter,_ Said a familiar voice in his head. He cocked his head to one side, listening. Peter couldn't quite figure out who the voice was, or how they were inside his head…

"Professor X…" Peter Sr. said under his breath.

"What Dad?" Peter Jr. asked.

Peter Sr. looked up with a casual "Nothing…"

_Very good, Peter. I wasn't entirely sure you'd remember the sound of my voice in your head. As you know, the only reason your son's been 'normal' all of his life is because I've let him live like that_..._I can't do that anymore, for any of the second generation of X-Men. I'm sorry, but you and all of the other X-Men and their children will have to come here as soon as possible. The earliest flight you can catch is the one your son's going on. I've reserved a spot for you…_

_Yes, Kitty and all of the other know too. The Summers family and your family are in the most danger. If Harrison, Scott's son, starts his optical beams, well it could do a lot of damage. And if your son's not careful, he could easily hurt someone or something. Keep a close eye on him._

"_I'll do everything I can Professor…_" Peter said in his head.

_Excellent, I'm expecting a full-fledged reunion in less than three days! Who would've thought that almost 20 years has gone by…?_

_The Alvers _[several hours after Kitty and Lance received their own telepathic messages

Janelle had been shocked for about an hour now. A series of small earthquakes and landslides had happened in their own backyard, literally! All of the seismic charts said that the earthquakes were starting from their house, but that was completely crazy.

John had noticed the small earthquakes too. They were happening every time he fell on the ground playing football with his friends.

"Sorry boys, you'll have to break it up!" Kitty yelled from the kitchen window. "John, you need to pack. We're taking a vacation up North…it'll be good for you and your sister!"

"What's with the sudden vacation?" John called from the back yard to his mother, as soon as all of his friends were gone.

"Your mother and I think it's a good idea if you kids get some good Northern air." Lance answered. "And, I need a vacation…"

"What about Peter? I thought he was coming to stay with us…" Janelle asked as she came from her bedroom to meet everyone in the kitchen. John had just walked in, completely caked with mud from head to toe.

"Well, we're actually going to meet him and his father in upstate New York tomorrow." Kitty replied. "That was going to be a surprise, but since you insisted…"

"That's so cool! So when do we leave?" John asked, now fully interested in the sudden trip.

"As soon as your stuff's packed." Lance replied.

_The Lebeau's _[several hours after their telepathic messages…

"Brie, be careful!" Remy was yelling at his daughter. _Wouldn't that just be _great _if she blew something up now?!_

"At least she didn't get _my _power…" Rogue whispered to her husband under her breath. Her southern accent was as thick as ever.

"What's going on?" Brie asked her parents. She was completely in the dark, they hadn't told her anything.

"Well, you know that your dad and I went to school up north…" 'Marie' started before she was cut off by Remy.

"There's going to be a get together type thing. All of our old classmates have children around your age and they're all going…" he said in his Cajun accent, as thick as Marie's southern one.

"So you want me to go too?" Brie asked. She couldn't understand it; her family never went on vacations…Hell, she'd never even left Louisiana!

"Exactly hun, what do you say?" Marie asked her daughter. She was hoping for a positive answer before they had to persuade her too much.

"Well, I don't know…I don't really get along well with other people…How long would we be gone for anyway?" Brie asked. She wouldn't describe herself as antisocial, but she was defiantly _not _a people person.

"Oh, maybe a week or two…we haven't seen these people in twenty some years." Marie quickly added at her daughters raised eyebrows at the mention of 'a week or two.'

"Come on cherie, it'll be fun." Remy said, adding the old Cajun charm.

"Okay, I'll go, I guess. When do we leave?"

Marie let out a sigh of relief that her daughter had agreed relatively easily. "The plane leaves tomorrow at five in the afternoon. We'll have to be there around three or so."

"That means that I hardly have anytime to pack! I better get started!" Brie said and sprinted up the stairs. She nearly tripped at the top, due to untied Converse, but continued to run to her room.

"Well, at least she's coming." Marie said.

"Yeah…think we should pack too?" Remy asked.

"Yes, of course we should! The professor didn't keep our clothes or anything!"

"Just checking…"

_The Summers _[an hour or so after getting the professor's telekinetic message

The Summers family was out on Waikiki beach, enjoying some sun and surf, when Scott and Jean got the message.

"Scott, we have to leave as soon as possible." Jean said, stating the obvious.

"Yeah, I know. How are we going to tell the kids? We can't just come out and tell them that they're mutants…" Scott replied.

"Scott! Not so loud! Someone might hear you." Jean said as several people walked by, giving them odd looks. "I know that we can't tell them. We could just tell them it's a vacation…"

"Sure, that works every time…Do you think the professor will tell them when we get there?" Scott asked his wife, careful to keep his voice lower this time to no avail.

"Tell them what, Dad?" Harrison asked his dad. He'd come up silently behind them in the middle of their exchange.

"Oh, nothing. Your mom and I were just discussing the possibility of going up north, say New York, for a few weeks." Scott told his inquiring thirteen year old son.

"What's going on?" Rachel asked when she reached her parents and brother. She'd seen them from where she was at the edge of the Pacific Ocean, and knew something was up. Her parents rarely missed an occasion to spend time with her or Harrison. The way they'd had their heads bent together was suspicious as well.

"Your dad and I were thinking about heading up to New York for a while. What do you kids think?" Jean asked Rachel, a spitting image of herself at sixteen.

"Isn't that where you and Dad went to school?" Rachel asked. Her parents had told her many stories of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters before. In Rachel's eyes, neither of her parents were overly 'gifted'.

"Well yes it is!" Scott said enthusiastically, he'd just gotten an idea. "It's actually more like a little reunion with our old classmates. They all have children about your age too. You could make some new friends."

"One condition." Harrison said flatly.

"What's that, dear?" Jean asked her son. He looked just like Scott, minus the ruby glasses. _For now, anyway. _She thought.

"Can I learn to snowboard? It must be like surfing, and I rule at that!" Harrison asked excitedly. His sister just rolled her eyes and gave him a disapproving look.

"Of course you can." Scott said. _At least they've agreed. _ Scott thought to Jean.

_Yes, it's so exciting! I can't wait for them to meet the rest of the team's children!_

_The Wagners _[minutes after their telepathic messages

"So Martin, I hardly ever get to see you anymore. You're always at school, hanging out with your friends, or practicing your soccer skills. I was thinking, maybe you and I could use some Father/Son time, just the two of us. What do you think?" Kurt asked his youngest son, Martin.

"What? You mean leave Mom and Stephen?" Martin couldn't believe it. This isn't something that he would normally do, usually; his father would do something like this with Stephen. "Where would we go?"

"I was thinking America, New York area. I used to go to school there you know."

"Yeah, I knew that. Would your classmates be there?" Martin had heard some stories of his dad's classmates, they sounded really cool. His dad said they even had some kids his age that he could hang out with.

"Yes, most of them I hope."

"Really? So, for me, it'd be like a foreign exchange?" Martin inquired.

"Yes, something like that."

"How long?"

"A week or so. What do you say?" Kurt asked. He was hopeful his son would go with him; the professor was losing his control over his son's abilities. Kurt had also heard that Peter and Scott had children with abilities that could wreak havoc…

"Sure. Why not? I could use some practice with my English." Martin asked hastily.

"Great! We leave in two days."

"You had this whole thing planned out and you still asked me? Does Mom even know?" Martin asked shocked at the possibility that his mother didn't know. "What about Stephen, he's really not coming?"

"Of course your mom knows, your brother does too. They're okay with it. Stephen wants to practice his track and your mom just wants some quiet time." Kurt said. It was true, he had really talked to Amanda and Stephen and they were okay with it. Amanda knew that Kurt needed to take Martin to the professor; he needed to learn control of his abilities.

"Dad?"

"Yes Martin?" Kurt replied.

"What are your classmates' children like?" Martin asked. He was hoping to hit it off with some English speaking students. That way, he could practice and perfect it just like Stephen had.

"Well, I've only personally met two of them. Jean and Scott's daughter, Rachel and Peter and Kitty's son, Peter Jr. They were only babies when I met them, though." Kurt said to his son. "You know, Peter's son speaks Russian and English. English was his first language, but from what Peter tells me, he's quite fluent in Russian."

"Really?! Cool. Do you think he'll teach me some more English?" Martin said. He really wanted to learn English, and then he'd thought about taking Spanish or French. Russian would be cool though.

"Well, if he's anything like his father, he will." Kurt said. He and Peter had gotten to be friends after the defeat of Apocalypse but had lost contact when Amanda had Stephen.

_I can't wait to see them! I'm sure that they're all great kids; I just hope that we can get there in time…_


	3. Mutants?

_Disclaimer _[A little late, I know. Sorry, first fic remember?!: I don't own the X-Men, Peter Jr., or Rachel. However the rest of the children are mine. Thanks to the reviews I've had. Nice to know someone's reading this! Without further ado, chapter three:

_**A Time After Apocalypse: Generation Two, Chapter Three**_

Well, the flights, however long and boring, all went well. So far, no incidents have happened, but time's running out on the professor's control…

Peter and his son were the first to arrive, but only by a few minutes. Just as their cab was leaving the drive, Kitty and Lance and their family arrived. Janelle jumped out of her parents black X-Terra and ran over to where Peter Jr. was.

"Peter!" She cried. Janelle leapt into his arms and was enveloped into one of Peter Jr.'s bear hugs.

"You've grown up so much over the past year." Peter said to him. He set her back on the concrete drive and looked down into her brown eyes.

"Not as much as you! Who stole my older brother?"

Peter Jr. just laughed and said "I've been away from home for too long."

"Yes you have. I've missed you so much!" Peter's mother, Kitty said. She reached up and hugged him around his broad shoulders.

"Mom! It's been so long." Peter said, letting go of his half sister and put his arm around his mother.

"Katya, long time no see." Peter Sr. said. He'd been talking to Lance and John and he now came over and gently hugged Kitty around the waist.

"Peter! How's Russia been to you two? How's 'Yana?" Kitty asked her son and ex. "Yana" was Peter Sr.'s little sister. Her real name was Illyana but everyone just called her 'Yana.

"Aunt 'Yana's good…we don't really see or talk to her much though. She moved to the Eastern side of Russia." Peter said, answering his mother. At least that's what he thought. 'Yana was actually in the alternate realm of Limbo.

As soon as Peter finished a yellow cab pulled up the drive. The lawn around was excellently manicured and had a gorgeous angelic fountain in the middle.

The cab pulled up to where the group was standing and a middle aged man got out with his teenage looking son in tow.

"Kurt!" Kitty yelled, leaving the group to hug the newcomer.

"Kitty!" Kurt yelled and hugged Kitty. "It's been far too long."

"I know! Can you believe it? Twenty years!" Kitty said.

"Something like that." Peter Sr. said as he strode forward. Kurt held out his hand as he let go of Kitty. The two men soon found themselves in an embrace.

Martin Wagner stepped out of the yellow taxi and surveyed the situation. His father was currently hugging a much larger man and five other people were standing about twenty steps away, smiling kindly at him and talking amongst themselves. _"I'm so out of place here." _He thought.

"This is my youngest son, Martin." Kurt said when he and Peter were apart. He took his son by the shoulders and brought him forward for everyone to see. "He takes after his old man quite a bit." Only the adults of the group really knew that that meant, that Martin was also a teleporter.

The small group all smiled at him but Martin was only able to produce a small smile and look at his shoes.

Just then, the large glass doors to the taupe colored mansion opened. A completely bald man in a wheelchair rolled out slowly onto the landing. He had warm eyes and a bright smile.

"Hello and welcome to everyone," he began, "Most of you know that I'm Professor Charles Xavier, founder and headmaster of Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters. Who are we still waiting upon?" His last question was aimed at the four adults.

"The Summers." Lance Alvers said.

"And the Le Beaus." Peter Sr. added.

"The Summers," Xavier started, "should be arriving shortly. The Le Beaus however, will not be here until very late tonight. Since there is no reason for us all to wait for the Summers, though feel free to, the parents can give their children a small tour of the school. If you'd like to set your baggage down, your rooms haven't changed. Youngsters, feel free to choose a room that suits you."

General nods and "all rights" issued around the group as they dissipated by families to tour the school and the surrounding grounds.

"_Professor," _Jean thought to Xavier, _"we should be arriving any minute. Scott just got off the phone with Rogue and they'll be here earlier than expected. They should be here tonight."_

"_Excellent, thank you Jean. The sooner everyone is here, the better." _Professor thought back.

_Mere moments later…_

The Summer's red Honda pulled up into the drive on the lawn of the extensive mansion.

"You went so school _here_?" Rachel asked in a disbelieving voice.

"Yes sweetie, isn't it gorgeous?" Jean asked her daughter, a perfect replica of herself in every way.

"More like gigantic! I'm going to end up lost so many times." Harrison said.

"It's almost impossible to get lost." Scott told his son reassuringly. "The entire school is symmetrical." He finished just at the put the vehicle in park in front of the massive glass doors.

"I'll still get lost." Harrison said softly as he got out of the Honda.

"Scott, Jean, welcome home." Professor Xavier told the newly arrived mutants.

"It looks just like it did twenty years ago." Scott said, admiring the mansion. "Kids, this is the headmaster of the school, Professor Charles Xavier. Also known as Professor X."

Rachel and Harrison looked up at the bald man in the wheelchair on the landing in front of the doors. They nodded slightly to the Professor and continued looking through the school's windows.

"Where's everyone else?" Scott asked.

"They're around in the school or on the grounds. They're all giving their children a small tour before the Le Beaus get here. You can check out any of the rooms."

"_Except the Danger Room." _The man's voice said in Rachel's head. She took a step back and put two of her fingers on her temple. Jean was the first to notice, having heard the voice in her head also.

"Dear, are you alright?" Jean asked. Her piercing green eyes were full of concern for her daughter but she stole a worried glance at Scott, the Professor, and then back to Rachel.

"Yeah Mom, I'm fine. I must just be a little tired." Rachel told her mom. In reality her head throbbed uncomfortably and the 'Professor's' voice kept repeating itself over and over.

"Jean, why don't you show Rachel to your old room and pick her out a room. We'll meet in the commons at around six. That gives you two hours to get rid of that headache before you meet anyone." The Professor said reassuringly to Rachel. In reality, however, he was terribly worried that the Le Beaus wouldn't arrive soon enough.

"Yeah, I'm sure that'll help." Rachel said, anything to get away from everyone staring at her. That bugged her more than anything else, people worrying over nothing. Or what she believed to be nothing.

_2 Hours Later. The Le Beaus arrived safely and received virtually the same welcoming message from the Professor as everyone else had. It was now six o'clock, time for Professor Xavier to reveal to the children their true identities._

Everyone sat down around the long dark wood table and talked softly amongst themselves when they all become suddenly quiet as the Professor wheeled into the room. All eyes were on him whether it was the parents' eager ones or the teenagers' bored gaze.

"Evolution. It is the reason we've grown into complex multicultural organisms from simple one celled organisms. It is the key to our existence. Every thousand years evolution leaps forward and transforms into a new type of being. Such is the case now and the cases twenty years ago. Have any of you kids heard of a mutant?"

There were many looks of question upon all seven of the kids' faces, all staring at the Professor, wondering where he was going with _this _conversation. But no hands were raised into the air to respond. None of them had ever heard of a mutant. Or at least none wanted to admit that they had.

"Not entirely surprising," the Professor continued, "there have been few sightings recently." Xavier meant to continue when a small girl of fifteen, clad entirely in black, said: "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Brie!" 'Marie' scolded her daughter, "That's no way to talk to the Professor!"

"Quite alright Marie, or should I say Rogue? I think we've all been asked that question at least once or twice. But, as young Brie has stated, I'm sure that many of these kids want answers as to why they're here." The Professor said. "And no it's not only so your parents can see their old friends." He said, mainly to Harrison, who looked about ready to say that.

"You are here," Xavier began, "because you are all mutants."

The room was suddenly quiet. No one stirred in their chairs or talked. Many kids looked into their parents faces for answers, explanations, someone to jump out and say "just kidding!" But no one ever did.

The silence grew upon the group until Harrison Summers couldn't take it any longer and blurted out "What's a mutant?"

All eyes were momentarily on him, until they moved to the Professor where they waited to an explanation.

"A mutant can be anyone. Your friends, teachers, or even parents." The Professor said with a wink on his last word. All of the kids' eyes flashed up to their parents where they searched deeper for answers. Most parents nodded or said a small "yes" coupled with a somewhat comforting smile.

"Mutants," The Professor began again, "each posses a different and unique ability from any other mutant in the world. These abilities are what set them apart from homo sapiens. Their powers range from physical to psychic and anywhere in between. They are supernatural…you are all supernatural as am I." He finished sweeping his gaze around disbelieving eyes.

"My teacher mentioned mutants once." Martin whispered in his prominent German accent. All of the kids' eyes snapped to him. "She said there hadn't been any sightings in over fifteen years. She said they were all wicked creatures, not even human. By the next week she was fired."

A long silence passed, no one wanting to ask the question that burned so hard in his or her souls. Finally, Peter Jr. said, "So…what can we do?" His voice was quiet and not at all confident, a polar opposite from his usual 'leader' stature. "Why haven't we known about this before?"

"Both excellent questions, with equally good answers. To answer the latter of the two first, I haven't let you know about your abilities. I posses the ability to manipulate minds, including keeping your mutant gene dormant for, in your case, almost eighteen years.

"Each of your abilities is unique," Xavier continued, meeting all of the teenagers' eyes, "all of you take after one or both of your parents. Where shall we start? Ah, Miss Summers. You encountered one of your abilities earlier today. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about."

Rachel's perfect green eyes had grown in size. She nodded slowly, afraid of what the Professor would say next.

"That was your telepathy. It's nothing to be afraid of. Your mother is a telepath, as am I. You also take after your mother because of you telekinesis. I'm not sure if it's fully developed yet or not.

"Harrison Summers, taking after his father. You have your father's optical blasts of pure energy. Don't worry; we'll get you some shades just like your dad's that will keep those under control."

Harrison looked up at his dad's ruby sunglasses and suddenly noticed every little thing about them. The ear pieces were silver, a striking contrast to the sparkle of the deep red of the actual gems.

"Brie Le Beau, just like your dad with a twist of your own. You can kinetically charge objects, causing them to explode. You can also fly. I don't understand how, though.

"Peter Jr. Rasputin, also like your father. You posses the ability to cover your entire body in metal. This leaves your speed, strength, and endurance virtually limitless.

"John Alvers, a taking after your father. His codename is Avalanche, for good reason. You can control the ground, making earthquakes and such.

"Janelle Alvers, taking after your mother with her phasing abilities. In other words, you can move through solid objects such as walls. Very interesting, I might add."

Janelle was possibly the most excited of the newly informed mutants. Her school wasn't much of one for differences, racially or otherwise. Her family was Jewish which put her and her brother on the other end of the "norm". But maybe her dream had finally come true and she could finally fit in with these kids.

"Last but certainly not least, Martin Wagner. You Martin inherited your father's teleportation powers. You did not, however, get his quite definite looks."

Martin's eyes portrayed a look of confusion to the ending of the sentence. He looked back to his dad, then back to the Professor before finally asking: "What about my brother, Stephen?"

The Professor let out a long sigh before saying, "Sometimes the mutant gene, also known as the 'X-Gene', does not get passed to offspring. This is the case of your brother, Stephan. You and he both had a fifty-fifty chance of inheriting the mutant gene because only one of your parents is a mutant. Your mother is a human."

A long silence followed the Professor's speech. None of the teens knew how to take this. Coincidentally, their parents didn't know how to comfort them or even if they needed comforting.

"How do we know you're telling the truth…that this isn't just some made-up story?" Brie Le Beau said very bravely from her side of the table. Her back was to a beautiful picture window that looked out onto some wooded area on the grounds. There was a full moon, basking every blade of grass in silvery light.

"Good question, Ms. Le Beau. _Could I do this if I wasn't a telepath?" _The Professor replied back. The latter part of his rebuttal was all done over telekinesis which was new to Brie's mind. She developed a headache inadvertently as Rachel had.

"Now, I'm going to release your powers from my minds grasp…save two of you. Mr. Summers and Mr. Rasputin will continue being powerless through the night. We need to teach you two more advanced control before we just let your powers reign free." The Professor stated. He didn't want Harrison to accidentally blast anyone and he certainly didn't need Peter transforming in the middle of the night and not knowing how to change back.

Silence followed the end of Xavier's statement until he released a long, satisfied sigh. He instantly looked better to the adults who had noted the darkened circles under his eyes. Xavier also felt better, like sipping a warm cup of hot chocolate. He felt warm down to his very bones and soul. A deep relaxation passed over him that he had not known in eighteen years.

"I know that this is a lot for your minds to handle in a short ten or so minutes time. I think some rest will help us all. We'll meet here for breakfast, same time as we have for thirty years. Seven o'clock. Sound good to everyone?"

The group nodded, the kids still wide eyed and disbelieving. Many were still unsure if they were talking to a school professor or a mad man who could talk in their heads, or even both.

"Goodnight Professor." The group of adults said, almost in unison. They all stood up and lead their children back to the lobby area where a few couches were scattered around in front of three picture windows. Outside the window were the dark grounds, the angelic fountain basking in silvery light.

The group of fifteen parents and children made their way up the double flight of lightwood stairs and either turned left or right, depending on gender. The boys' dormitory, which had been on the left for thirty some years since Scott had been the first student, remained on the left. The girls then turned to the right. Husbands and wives hugged and kissed their spouses goodnight, as did parents and offspring.

Lance and Kitty stopped and kissed each other as soon as they reached the top of the stairs much to the disapproval of their children. Janelle pulled Kitty to the right while John grabbed his dad's arm and attempted to drag him to the left.

The exact opposite was happening only several paces away where Scott and Jean shared a goodnight kiss. Instead of trying to separate their parents, Rachel and Harrison simply left for their rooms without giving their parents so much as a glance.

Already almost all the way to their rooms were the Wagners and the Rasputins. Since both of the fathers only had sons, they simply left the group of spouses to the quiet of the dormitories.

Peter Jr. was several steps in front of the rest of the group of three. Kurt quickly stepped over to his son and whispered, "Watch this." No later had he said this there was only a small puff of smoke and an overpowering sulfur smell from where he'd been only moments ago.

Martin looked around for his father before almost jumping out of his skin when Peter Sr. bent down beside his ear and whispered gently, "Don't worry, he'll be visible in a second." Martin nodded after this but kept looking eagerly for his father.

He'd almost called out, hoping his father would then return, when he heard a small 'whoosh' noise about twenty feet in front of him. The noise was followed by a sharp intake of breath and later a faint sulfur smell. The small gasp was from Peter, obviously surprised by Kurt's teleportation in front of him. As hastily as he'd appeared, he was back walking with Martin.

"Teleportation. Want to try?" Kurt asked his son. He was excited Martin inherited the X-Gene, but also exceptionally worried. He himself had seen how people react when they are presented with a mutant…on a number of occasions.

Kurt also knew that other mutants posed a threat to his son, and his colleagues' children for that matter. Sure, the Brotherhood had basically disbanded to lead almost normal lives for the past twenty years. He wasn't really bothered about them; Kurt was more worried with Magneto's group known as the Acolytes.

True, his good friend Peter Rasputin had once been an Acolyte, as had Remy, but that was some twenty years ago. Peter and Remy had changed, and for the better. Peter had married Kitty and they had their son Peter. _He was never a really loyal Acolyte anyway, _Kurt thought. _He only listened to Magneto to keep his family safe…especially Illyana._

_That was all in the past, _thought Kurt, _Peter and Remy turned over new leaves a long time ago…it's not them I'm worried about anyway. It's the other Acolytes…who knows? Maybe they're in this same situation now too…_ Kurt's last thoughts were distant and blurry from his tiredness. He felt suddenly tired and in a dreamlike state.

"Umm…I don't think I'm ready yet Dad…Dad? Are you alright?" Martin was asking his father.

These first words hit Kurt like a bird hitting a window. Kurt was momentarily stunned while he thought about what he was thinking about and even what his son had just said to him. He took a moment before replying, "That's okay son. You can try your first teleportation with me…tomorrow…when I'm more awake."

Up ahead of the group Peter and Harrison were carrying on an entirely ordinary conversation, save that the topic they were discussing was mutants.

"I don't really know what to make of any of this, you know? It feels like our whole lives have been one big joke." Harrison was saying.

"Yeah, it's almost feels like our parents have been lying to us our whole lives. I don't really know what to think…" Peter replied.

"I know what you mean…maybe I'll take this better in the morning. It was a long flight and an equally long drive."

Peter's eyes filled with question and asked, "Where are you from?"

"Hawaii. We live on Oahu, that's the second biggest island. We live there because that's where my Uncle Alex lives. My dad thought that he was dead until he was eighteen, when he found Alex. Dad's hardly spent a moment away from him since." Harrison explained. "Where do you live?"

"Russia, mainly at least. My dad and I spend most of my time in a small town near Moscow. The other part of the time, usually summer vacations, I spend with my mom in Yorkville, Illinois. Do you like Hawaii?"

"Yeah, it's pretty beautiful. But I've hardly known any place else so I can't really judge it against anything…" Harrison said awkwardly. He didn't want to admit it to himself but Peter intimidated him. He was a great deal more muscular, but furthermore almost five years older than himself, from what his father had estimated anyway.

"Hmm, well this is my room. See you in the morning." Peter said. He waited momentarily for his dad to catch up; their rooms were right next to each other.

When his father, Kurt, Martin, and finally Scott caught up to him, he said good night to his father and landed on the bed with an "oof". He tried to sleep but his thoughts constantly returned to what was talked about. Peter's last thoughts were of how it would feel to use his powers if in fact this "Professor" was telling the truth.

Back in the girls' dormitories, Rachel was spread eagle on her bed. All of her belongings had been brought in for her. _Which is odd…I mean, who brought them in? The Professor's in a wheel chair and I don't think anyone else lives here…_

Her thoughts swirled around possible creatures that would've carried her luggage up. Rachel knew that this was ridiculous, she'd _know _if any others were there.

When the professor had released her powers, she'd felt a sudden awareness at everyone around her. She could vaguely hear their thoughts as if they were speaking to her across a room. They were whispers unless she concentrated on one in particular. Then that person's thoughts became clearer, she could make out words amidst all the others' whispers.

Rachel had tried to concentrate on the Professor's thoughts but had only gotten static back. This confused her and she refused to give up. Even now, at midnight she continued to try to hear his thoughts. Still nothing.

Giving up, she curled onto one side and sighed. _Maybe someone else's thoughts would work…_She was halfway done debating between Martin and Peter Jr. when her mother's angry voice flooded her head.

_Rachel! Ugh, I must've failed to mention that you should _not _enter people's thoughts against their wills! That's very private information._

Upset with her mother, Rachel covered herself with her blankets and tried to stop her headache. It had almost been gone! Then her mother had to bring it back with full force.

She closed her eyes and tried not to think about anything. Slowly, sleep came to her.

Brie yawned, rolled over, and let out a moan at the blinking number on the digital clock.

**5:04 A.M.**

_Five o'clock in the fricking fracking morning. _She shut her eyes and tried desperately to fall back to sleep. _Not yet, no one's up yet._

Brie lay like that before her patience ran out and she sat up. To her surprise she saw that her suitcases had been brought up and set at the end of her bed. She also noted the open door to her bathroom.

Feeling in need of a shower, Brie finally rolled out of bed and turned on the hot water. It felt good, almost soothing on her tired muscles. The water also helped her brain relax and get a grip on what was going on.

She was a mutant. Pros: she could fly and blow stuff up. Cons: exile from society. Not that she and society had gotten along anyway. Her motto, taken from a _My Chemical Romance_ song was:

_You gonna clean up your looks_

_With all the lies and the books_

_To make a citizen out of you_

This was how she felt in general about society. Everyone wanted her to fit in, to not be different. Well she might be able to change her Goth appearance but she couldn't change what was in her genes. Not that she'd ever want to fit in, identity was an important thing to Brie.

_But am I still Brie? _She thought. _Or did this mutant thing turn me into someone I'm not?_

She stepped out of the shower and went to the sink. Brie looked up to see the steam clinging to the mirror and wiped it away with a ghostly white hand. Her pale blue eyes had been replaced with dark red ones, a contrast to the whites of her corneas. She screamed and punched the mirror.

After a few deep breaths, Brie looked back up into the mirror. She saw her reflection shattered, with eyes not her own staring back at her.

_Shattered._

Kind of how she felt.

_Nothing's gonna get better unless I make it that way. _She thought on the flip side as she dressed for breakfast. Mutant or not, her style hadn't changed at all. Brie choose a pair of dark colored jeans, a _My Chemical Romance _tee-shirt, slipped into her Converse that were slowly disintegrating, and pulled her hair back into little pigtails.

Stealing a quick look at the clock told her it was five fifty-nine. Clicking over to six, her alarm clock went off with a loud wailing noise. Brie dove across the bed and hit the off button to no avail. The clock continued to scream and Brie, frustrated, took a hold of it and yelled, "Shut _up_!"

Her hands were shaking as she was trying to break it in half, anything to make it stop! She was ready to throw it out the window when it started to get an ominous orange glow from her hands. The clock began to feel hotter and hotter.

Then she _knew _it was time to throw it out the window.

Cord still in the wall, Brie pushed the window open and tossed the clock out. Since the cord wasn't nine feet long, the clock only fell about three inches before the cord tightened. In Brie's book, that was plenty.

She slammed the window closed and watched what the clock would do.

The glowing intensified until the alarm clock finally reached its breaking point and exploded.

Brie screamed and ran out to the hall, took a sharp left, and pounded on her mother's door until Rogue answered.

Brie launched into her story, screaming half of it, while Rogue remained calm and thought to herself. _This is going to be one Hell of a day…_

_Important _[aren't they always? _Author's Note:_

Any favorite villains you the readers would like to see? Or children of villains maybe?

P.S. - The writing for this story is going great! I'm enjoying this lots and I still have a week before school starts! Then updating might be a little dicey, but I'll try my best!

- The first three lines of _Teenagers _by _My Chemical Romance_ which is a fantastic song!


	4. Practice?

_Disclaimer: _I don't own any of the X-Men, Peter Jr., or Rachel. The rest of the children belong to me. Mwhaha! If you were confused the _italics _are for _thoughts_ and the _"quoted italics" _are for _"telepathic conversations"._

_**A Time After Apocalypse: Generation Two, Chapter Four **_

John had been on his way outside with his father when slight trembled began coming from under their feet. His dad seemed unaffected by the tremors, almost as if they weren't even happening. John, however, was more than a little shaken.

He had his hands in the pouch of his red _Element _hoodie, a surprisingly cold New York morning. John was, without thinking, wringing and twisting his hands together out of nervousness.

His dad had promised him an early morning lesson to learn the basics of his powers. At first John had been elated, but as the time grew nearer, he was more nervous about losing control.

_What if I screw up? What if I never learn control? What if…?_

Lance stopped his son's thoughts by asking, "You aren't nervous, are you?" His tone was slightly teasing but with a hint of seriousness.

"A little," he admitted. He continued to wring his hands and the tremors continued to build before John asked, "Dad, what's with the…shaking?"

His dad thought for a moment before saying, "That's your power, son. I could kind of tell you were nervous. It happens to me too, whenever I get upset or nervous. You'll learn to control it better, don't worry." He added hastily at his son's concerned expression.

After they'd walked a distance out into the expansive backyard, the father-son pair stopped. They stood about thirty feet from the rocky drop off into the Atlantic Ocean.

"John, what I'm about to teach you should not be used to selfish reasons. I want to show you self control so you don't hurt anyone. I myself know that the power we share can get out of control really fast. I don't want that to happen to you," Lance said with empathy in his voice.

John nodded back at his father and watched him take a stance. One foot slightly in front of the other, bracing for the impact of moving ground. John mimicked his dad's stance and looked back at him for further instructions.

"Okay, looking great son. Now I want you to concentrate on your breathing. Nice, deep, slow breaths."

He did as his father told him and before long, his nervousness had evaporated. With it, the tremors were also dissipated.

"Good John, very good. Now I want you to look at the ground. Look at it and concentrate on how it feels below your feet. Think about how you want to move a piece, just a golf ball size piece. Now, try to move just a little ground."

He did as he was told and before long John had a small piece of dirt and grass upturned from the ground. It looked like a little, insignificant molehill but it was a start.

The splash of an exceptionally big wave brought John out of his mild meditation and made him woozy. He realized that he'd exhausted himself by barley making an anthill out of the ground.

"Dad," John began, "I'm feeling a little tired. Can we go in now?"

Lance looked up from his son's work to his face and saw how pale he'd gotten. John looked a little woozy and Lance couldn't blame him. When powers first come, it takes about a week to move past the dizziness stage of even the slightest workout.

"Yeah, sure. Just let me flip," Lance replied while putting the piece of sod back in its place, "this back down." The ground looked as if they'd never been there. A glance at his watch told Lance it was three minutes to breakfast. _Where has the time gone?_

"Come on, son. You're going to _love _the mansion's food! It'd delicious!" With that said, the father-son pair left the manicured lawn just the way they'd found it.

There was quite a bit more chatter around the table this morning than there'd been just last night. Since most of the second generation mutants had realized that they were indeed mutants, they were opening up a little better.

This morning Professor Xavier didn't join them, however. To the X-Men this was normal. During their stay at the mansion the Professor had eaten breakfast with them a handful of times. But to the kids, this was a little awkward, since he _did _run the school.

They quickly got over it, however, and dug into the delicious breakfast that sat before them. The only bad thing about the breakfast was the need for decisions. Little sausages or bacon? French or regular toast? Scrambled eggs or an omelet?

With breakfast winding down quite nicely, the kids nearly jumped as the Professor contacted them telepathically. _Good morning everyone. I hope that everyone slept well and is adjusting well. Now, when you're finished with breakfast I'd like everyone to meet me outside in the backyard._

In fairly quick order the group had assembled in the almost exact spot that Lance and John had been earlier this morning. The Professor, in his wheelchair designed to handle terrain, was waiting for them. In his hands he held a pair of ruby red sunglasses, presumably for Harrison Summers.

The X-Men noticed that the dark circles that had been present yesterday were fading fast. The Professor looked about five years younger without the burden of five mutants gone. If that cycle continued, he'd shave another two years off his appearance in mere moments.

"Thank you for coming out so quickly. I hope I didn't rush breakfast for anyone." The Professor said. His voice was confident but far from cocky.

"Now," he continued, "if you'd be so kind to raise your hands if you've already encountered your powers."

Peter Jr. looked around at only three hands in the air. He would've expected more especially because they could've tried out their powers. He couldn't and was mildly upset that his little sister Janelle hadn't tried yet. Peter was ready to try as soon as the Professor said that he could and hoped that he could coax Janelle to.

The Professor looked into the three faces of the young teens that had already encountered their powers. He'd known about Rachel, mainly because she'd been trying to read his thoughts. She'd been unsuccessful, though. His mind was about as hard to read as it is to learn Gaelic.

He looked into the tired eyes of John Alvers and remembered all of the ruckus the boy had caused this morning. Just because he'd been nervous there had been tremors on the school property for nearly and hour.

Charles then met Brie's eyes, changed from her mutation. She looked a little shaken and he laughed when he remembered the small explosion. Rogue had come to him with Brie in tow and had explained the whole thing. It was a good story, not one to be forgotten.

Then he looked between Harrison and Peter Jr. He saw the sadness and maybe slight jealousy in their eyes, knowing they'd been left out.

"Now, Harrison could you come here for a moment?"

Harrison looked scared but made his way forward. The Professor handed him his new glasses that would let him be in control of his optical blasts. In a way it marked Harrison's coming-of-age, or coming-of-mutantcy.

"Harrison, you'll have to wear these glasses all the time. Later I'll give you a pair that's meant for sleeping and using your powers with more control. Go ahead, put them on," The Professor added as Harrison stared at them.

Harrison put the sunglasses on. He opened his eyes to a whole new world, one of red and its many shades. He looked around for a minute before taking his place by his dad. The two of them now looked next to identical, the only difference being age.

With brief nods from both of the boys, the Professor released their powers and let another long sigh go. He felt good, as he had last night, but he was also dead tired. He excused himself from the group, leaving them to teach their children how to control their powers. Besides, Charles had other business of attend to.

After a nap, though.

An hour after the Professor had left the kids were starting to get the hang of their powers. True, there was the occasional mishap in which someone would end up on the ground but all in all it was a fantastic start.

Brie was to the point that she could make small explosions at will. But when she got frustrated, she'd make a bomb out of whatever she was holding. Remy was currently trying to teach her how to charge something, decide you don't want it to blow up, and de-charge it.

Rachel, to her mother's surprise, could already telekinetically levitate twenty-five pounds. It'd taken Jean months to be able to do that and she was truly proud of her daughter. Now she was teaching Rachel telepathy etiquette, almost how to knock on someone's brain before starting a conversation.

A ways away from his wife, Scott had Harrison trimming the hedges with his optical blasts. So far, three hedges were completely gone and two others weren't looking too great. But, slowly, Harrison was gaining more control over his powers.

Closer to the mansion, Kurt was teleporting with Martin. So far Martin had successfully teleported by himself once. But it'd been up to the top of a tree. Now Kurt was trying to teach Martin how to get where you want to go.

In the front yard were Lance and John. Now they were taking a break after another hours worth of practice. John was getting more comfortable with his powers but he still couldn't do very much with them.

Down on the beach there were two families, yet one. Peter and his son were working on the matter of Peter Jr. producing the metal, which was no problem. The trouble for Peter was so reverse back to his human flesh. He'd done it twice now, and was feeling a little more confident.

Close to where they stood were Kitty and Janelle. Janelle, as excited as she'd been yesterday was scared to phase through the large rocks her mom wanted her to. She'd let her hand go through once and didn't like the feeling one bit. With encouragement from her mom and half brother, Janelle had tried again. The second time hadn't gone as smoothly. Janelle's hand had gotten stuck.

Janelle had screamed and tried to tug her hand out to no avail. Her mom had phased her hand through easily. Janelle hugged her mom as hard as she could.

"Mom that was so scary! I couldn't move and…and…!" Janelle was shouting on the verge of hysteria. Her mom hugged her tighter and made slight shushing sounds while brushing the tears from her face.

After a composing herself a bit, Janelle pushed away from her mom and whipped her eyes one last time.

"Are you alright sweetie? Do you want to stop?" Her mom asked her in a concerned voice. In the back of Janelle's head, she made a note that this was one of the few times her mom didn't use the word "like" in a sentence.

Janelle was quiet for a minute, considering the options. On one hand she'd been shell shocked by how her powers felt, but on the other hand her half brother wanted her to.

Seeming to read her mind, Peter Jr. jumped in, "Janie, you don't have to do this for me. You gave it a shot and I'm proud of you for that. Besides, we've been practicing for over an hour. It's a good start."

She nodded and walked over to where the two Rasputin's stood. Janelle looked up at her older half brother who was in his metal form. She noticed that he was a good foot taller than he'd been before and his shoulders were much wider. He was about to kneel down for a hug when his father placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Not like this. You don't yet have enough control, you could easily crush her." Peter Sr. told his son in a grave voice. Peter Sr. backed away from his son, giving him room to remove his metal.

Upon hearing this Janelle's mouth fell open and she backed away slowly, she was clearly frightened. She watched as her half brother's metal melted slowly away, leaving the bear of a brother she knew.

Yet it wasn't the same.

True, her brother would never intentionally hurt her but with his newly manifested powers…or would he lack vital control?

Peter Jr. was kneeling before her, his arms extended as they had been before. She stared at him for a long moment before turning and embracing her mom.

Kitty was surprised by this, to say the least. Janelle had never acted like this around Peter. The two had always been best friends, inseparable. Now it appeared as if Janelle was almost _afraid _of Peter… Not Peter himself, but maybe his new powers…?

Kitty was not allowed too much time with her thoughts before she was interrupted with a telepathic message from the Professor.

"_Students, new and old, I have a big announcement to make. Seeing that I'm currently a thousand miles from any of you, I'll do this telepathically. Second generation, my office is through the double doors at the top of the stairs. Go in; on my desk find the manila envelope with your name on it. Inside it are your class schedules for this coming Monday. In laymen's terms, you'll be going to school at Bayville High from now on._

"_X-Men, on the same said desk are new employment opportunities for each one of you, if you decide to continue that line of work. I am interested, however, in reforming the X-Men team. Please think about what you want to do. That is all." _

Hours had passed since the Professor's telepathic message and still sobs could be heard from Rachel Summer's room.

Jean paused at her daughter's door again, prepared to knock, when motherly instinct told her not to. She felt empathy for Rachel, having been in that same situation herself.

_A little more time can't hurt her. She just needs to adjust, that's all._

Rachel laid spread eagle on her bed as she had the night before, her first night. She'd thought something was fishy about the timing of this vacation, a little too close to school's start to be an innocent time of fun. She rolled over and moaned.

She should've _known_! How could she have been so _naïve_?

_This has to be a dream. My parents wouldn't do this to me!_ She said angrily in her head.

_They would because they really love you, _came a tiny rational voice as the opposition. _They want you to be in control of your powers, this is the only way and you know it._

That was the problem: she did know it. She knew her parents were right but, being a teenager, that couldn't happen. Parents didn't know anything, that's just how it was.

Rachel sprang up from the bed as horrifying thought hit her. She covered her eyes with her hands and another chorus of weeping ensued. She couldn't stand that thought. That…_I'm never going home._

- Gaelic is a language that is the hardest to learn.

Okay, I know this chapter was pretty short. My apologies. I promise it'll get more exciting! The prospect of second generation X-Men going to public school where their parents had…! The next _**two**_ chapters are in progress! Teenagers' problems + mutants' problem + public school Lots of writing fun!

_Play list-_

So I've been reading a lot of Stephanie Meyer books lately and was on her website when I saw that she had a list of artists and songs she listened to while writing. I think that's a pretty cool idea, so I may do that now. Especially if I listened to one song over and over to get a mood just right for a chapter. This is probably a little dumb, but I like listening to music while I write.

_Different Names for the Same Thing – Death Cab for Cutie_

_Candle in the Wind - Elton John_

_Walk On – U2_

_I Want To Break Free – Queen_

_Levon – Elton John_


	5. School?

_Disclaimer: _I don't own any of the X-Men, Peter Jr., or Rachel. The rest of the children belong to me. Mwhaha! If you were confused the _italics _are for _thoughts_ and the _"quoted italics" _are for _"telepathic conversations"._

A little thanks to my consistent reviewers: Evil lobster girl and RomyGirl123 and thanks to YoutubeGirl for her great pairing suggestions! Your support is appreciated!

_**A Time After Apocalypse: Generation Two, Chapter Five**_

The ride to Bayville High was awkward, to say the least. Absolutely no one spoke as Mr. Summers, as we'd been told to call him, drove us there in a black Hummerish looking car known as the X-Mobile.

Mr. Summers pulled up to the curb in front of a tan, industrial looking building. There were plenty of windows that looked out on the grounds to the students all mulling about before classes began.

"Okay, now I _know _this isn't easy," Mr. Summers said as he parked and unlocked the doors, "but try to blend in. We'll let the world in on our secret like we did twenty some years ago. For now though, keep it exceptionally quiet. Understood?"

Seven heads bobbed up and down in unison as everyone piled out of the car.

_Maybe this won't be so bad. _Brie thought to herself as she took in her surroundings. Most of the other students were smiling and laughing happily, the sun was shining brightly on her back and she just had a good feeling about this school.

"Hey, crypt keeper! Go back to Transylvania and Count Dracula where you belong!" where the first words that hit Brie at her new school.

_Or maybe it will._

She boldly turned to face the assault. Three boys her age, jocks by appearance, where coming strait towards her. Brie felt energy burning in her hands from anger and quickly made a fist to hide it.

"Yeah, Bayville doesn't want you!" A different one of the trio yelled. She took a step back, ready to fight, when the boys disappeared from her view.

What Brie now saw was not Peter's best side, or it was, depending on who you asked. He'd come to defend her and she was relieved and angry.

_I can take care of myself! _One side argued. The other opposed saying, _you can't use your powers and you've never done self defense. Peter's the best man for this job._

Brie eventually sided logically and peered around Peter to watch the events unfold.

"Back off," Peter growled between his teeth. This is why he _hated _bullying. Three on one's not much a fight.

But three on two evened the odds a bit.

When the boys continued to stare back, Peter said, "Beat it, I'm serious. And leave her alone from now on, got it?"

The three looked between each other before the front one, appearing to be the leader spoke up, "Yeah? And who're you to be telling us this?" The leader of the small pack had bright blonde hair and was cropped fairly short. He had piercing green eyes that slightly lead on that he was intimidated by Peter. You'd have to be an idiot not to be.

Peter stood up straighter, making damn sure that those punks could see all six foot six of him. "My name's Peter Rasputin, I just transferred here."

The leading boy thought for a moment before replying, "My name's Dirk Matthews. My dad's Duncan Matthews, the pro football player, I'd suggest you or _her_," he said looking Brie in the eyes, "never get in my way again. We might just have to knock a little sense into you."

The trio turned and left, laughing at Matthews' dumb joke, leaving Peter and Brie to stare after them.

"Hey, are you alright?" Peter turned and asked his small gothic friend. He and Brie had talked some the previous night and Peter was surprised by how much they had in common.

Brie let out a long sigh then answered, "Yeah, I'm fine. I just hoped that maybe…"

"You'd fit in?" Peter finished for her as the first bell rang. He shared her feeling to the fullest extent.

"Well yeah," Brie began as they two of them started their trek to the school, "I mean is it so much to ask that people show some decency?"

"Apparently it is," Peter replied gravely.

Dirk Matthews felt on top of the world. Not only had he just showed that big Rasputin kid who was boss, he also spied his next score.

He'd seen her dropped off with Rasputin and some other kids, but that meant little to him. She was a petit redhead that was close to his age. Her flawless emerald eyes were only matched by her other physical _ass_ets.

Dirk had watched her walk all the way to the building before starting towards the doors. He figured his chances of getting her on a date were good. He was good looking, a perfect copy of his dad, and he was on the varsity football team, not to mention his family was one of the richest in town.

"Martin!" Harrison yelled excitedly. Not only was he lost, but he was lost without any of his new mutant friends to help him. Anyone else he had asked for directions to a class simply ignored him.

"Hey Martin," Harrison said after he'd run to catch up to his friend, "I'm completely lost. Where's Mr. Ludwig's room?"

Martin hadn't been concentrating on where he was going, until Harrison had brought him back to reality. No, Martin had been dreaming about _that _girl.

He'd only seen her for a split second, her hip length platinum blonde hair radiating like an angels. Her eyes shown like aquamarines, sparkling as she walked past without a glance in Martin's direction.

Martin didn't care that she hadn't looked at him though. He was actually relieved; he probably would've dropped all his books or something embarrassing like that.

Harrison's question had brought Martin back to the here and now.

_I can't even remember what he just asked... Oh, that's right, Mr. Ludwig's class._

"Take a left at the end of this hall, first door on your right," Martin responded. He pointed as he gave Harrison the instructions.

"Okay, thanks. See you in Intro to Art?"

"Yes, bye," Martin responded as he hurried to his next class, World History. He already knew he'd have trouble concentrating; his angel was already floating back into his thoughts.

- direct quote from _X-Men Evolution _episode _Mainstream_

_Play list-_

_One – U2_

_Rocket Man – Elton John _

_Leaving New York – R.E.M._

_Live and Let Die – Wings and the Guns N' Roses remake_

Author's Note: Sorry about the whole not-writing-for-almost-a-month thing. Life (mainly Chemistry) got a little out of hand. Hopefully everything's back to normal. Chapter Six should be up soon (hopefully, it's been the most fun to write so far)! Keep posted!

P.S.- I try to update my biography often so check that if your curious or send me a message!


	6. Smitten?

_Disclaimer: _As usual. I don't own the X-Men, Rachel Summers, or Peter Rasputin Jr. Pretty much everyone/thing else is mine.

A little thanks to my consistent reviewers: Evil lobster girl and RomyGirl123 and thanks to YoutubeGirl for her great pairing suggestions! Your support is appreciated!

_**A Time After Apocalypse: Generation Two, Chapter Six**_

Brie sat in her American History class, completely bored out of her mind. She'd been absentmindedly doodling in her notebook while her teacher, Mrs. Crumm, droned onto the class about the importance of slaves in the south prior to blah blah blah… Brie had heard it all before.

She was thinking about taking a nap or making a break for it when the door knob at the front of the room opened. Brie's head popped up, eager for a distraction of any kind. What she wasn't prepared for, though, was who came through the door.

A boy, with striking features.

He was a little over six feet tall, she guessed. He wasn't a bodybuilder by any standards, but he didn't fit the string bean physique either. His dark hair was cut and hung past his perfect amber eyes.

_This _has _to be a dream. _

He handed Mrs. Crumm a slip of blue paper and looked around the class. When his perfect honey eyes met Brie's crimson ones, Brie looked at her Converse. She felt herself blushing, easy to spot against her unusually pale skin.

Mrs. Crumm read the paper thoroughly before taking a look around the room herself. She spied the empty seat next to Brie and pointed to it. Before seeing if the new boy had found his seat, she was back to the blackboard teaching.

Brie heard the boy sit quietly into the seat next to hers. She felt his eyes on her in a good way, he was curious. She continued to stare at her shoes when she heard him ruffling through his bag.

She stole a glance in his direction and saw him eagerly scribbling on a scrap of paper. Brie stared at his hand as it sashayed across the page, somehow making words at that speed.

He looked up when he was finished, making sure Mrs. Crumm was plenty busy with her lesson, while he turned to Brie. He held the paper out to her. She stared at it for a moment but snatched it before Mrs. Crumm could catch them.

Hey,

My name's Ronan. I just moved here from New Jersey. What's your name?

Brie read the paper several times to see that, yes, the cute boy next to her wanted to know _her _name. If this was a dream she never wanted it to end.

She wrote back on the tiny sheet of notebook paper, her hand not moving nearly as fast as his. Brie could still feel her cheeks red with embarrassment but continued to write. When she was finished she quickly tossed the paper to his expectant hand.

Hello,

My name's Brie, nice to meet you. Do you need help finding any of your classes?

Ronan read it once then wrote his reply as quickly as he had earlier.

From you? Definitely.

Brie felt herself blushing an even deeper shade of scarlet as Ronan flirted with her through their paper messaging. They continued this method of communication until the bell finally rang. Most of the class all but ran to leave but Brie had already learned to wait a minute and she wouldn't be trampled.

Ronan stood up beside her, a good half foot taller than herself. He picked up his books and said, "Is everyone this nice here?"

"No," Brie replied, "actually a lot of the people are dumb, like this one Dirk Matthews kid." She also picked up her books and bag before continuing, "I actually just moved here to. I used to live in Louisiana until very recently."

"Oh yeah, why'd you move?"

The simplicity of the question caught Brie by surprise. She was momentarily stunned, unsure of how to answer. She didn't want to _completely _lie to her new found friend, but it looked like that was what she had to do.

"Um, we moved to be closer to family," Brie lied swiftly. She hated it when she had to lie, "What about you?"

"Oh uh, same reason. There's something about parents wanting to uproot a teenager's life just when they're starting to fit in," he replied with a slight scowl on his perfect face.

"Yeah," Brie replied eagerly, glad to have the limelight taken off her. The two of them walked out of the room together.

"So what's your next class?"

"Umm," Ronan said while trying to locate his schedule, "Next is eighth hour…so German with Mr. Meyer."

Janelle was outside the school before she knew it. She'd made record time, mainly because there were at least three hundred other people behind her pushing.

The last bell of the day had rung two minutes ago and most of the student body were either running to their cars or hurrying off to sports practice. Janelle was one of the few who wasn't in a hurry to get anywhere.

That morning at breakfast the kids had decided to meet in the courtyard after school. So far, it looked like Janelle was the first one there. She took a seat on one of the benches in the center, a board of job listings behind her. Janelle sat in silence of a moment and watched the hustle and bustle of student life.

Something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. She turned to see her half brother Peter coming towards her.

She and Peter's relationship had been rocky lately, it was mainly Janelle's fault and she knew it. Peter was still her same brother, yet his mutation scared her. He was just so much _bigger _than the brother she knew. She wasn't sure if that was part of his mutation or not, but even after he was metal free he seemed larger.

Janelle didn't have much time to think of what she wanted to say to him because he covered the courtyard quickly. Peter was soon beside her on the bench. The bench creaked a little under his weight but he appeared not to notice.

"Janie," he paused. Janelle looked up at her brother to see he had his hands together, arms on his knees. He was staring at the ground, a look of concentration carved into his Russian features. Peter let out a long sigh and closed his eyes.

She stared back up at her brother's saddened expression and felt the tears welling in her eyes. Janelle hated to see anyone this hurt over her.

Without warning, Janelle threw her tiny, skinny arms around her brother's broad middle. Peter moved his hands from his knees but left them raised above his half sister.

Peter looked down at little Janelle, her arms not even reaching all the way around him. She was so small and fragile and now…

_Oh man._

She was crying.

He slowly rested his strong arms around her petit figure and let her weep. Peter didn't know how long they sat like that, Janie crying into his chest, but at least no one stopped to stare at them and none of the other mutants showed up until Janie was done.

She lifted her head from his torso, her eyes red and puffy from crying. They stared at each other for a minute before Janelle said, "Peter, I'm so sorry…" Her voice was weak and he strained to hear her.

Peter laid a finger over her lips to silence her. "Janie, there's nothing to be sorry about. I just wish we could talk more about this. I know you need some adjustment time to my mutation. Don't worry, I understand."

"Yeah I know it's just that…"Janie stopped, unsure if she wanted to continue.

Peter looked at his sister, knowing how hard this must be for her. He put one burly arm around her shoulders and said, "What's bothering you, you know you can tell me anything."

She lifted her gaze to meet Peter's eyes. "It's just that your dad scared me when he said you could…_crush _me," she said with pained evidence on the word "crush".

Peter tightened his arm on his small half sister and said, "I don't want to scare you but he's probably right. But would I ever let _any_thing hurt you, even myself?"

"Of course not," Janelle sighed. "Your right, I just…overreacted is all. I'm sorry."

"Would you like me to walk you home?" Ronan asked, golden eyes sparkling.

Brie was momentarily stunned by his honey colored eyes but recovered quickly and said, "Yeah, that'd be nice."

"Great. Meet me in the courtyard?"

"Uh sure. See ya."

Brie turned from him towards her locker, her cheeks on fire. She was absolutely giddy, floating on air.

Until Dirk Matthews brought her back down.

She hadn't noticed but she'd been slowly gaining on his little gang. When Ronan had flustered her, Brie had sped up right into Dirk. _Was it just this morning he said he'd "knock some sense into me"? Oh just fantastic…_

Dirk Matthews spun to face Brie, his eyes alight with recognition and said, "You! The little Goth from this morning. I thought I told you to stay out of my way!"

Janelle heard voices, angry ones at that, coming from across the courtyard. She turned from her half brother to see Brie being surrounded by about four boys that were much bigger than her.

She gasped aloud and jumped from the bench. Janelle wanted to run, to help Brie, but her brother caught her arm.

Pulling against him with all her weight wasn't nearly enough and Janelle knew it. She continued to try in vain for another second before Peter rose slowly saying, "Stay here."

"But I want to help. She's my friend too," Janie partially whined as Peter let go of her arm. Janelle looked up into his face as a long sigh escaped his lips.

"I just don't want you to get hurt."

"I won't, I promise. I'll stay back."

"Alright fine. But don't do anything dumb, these guys are real creeps."

However, not all of the new second generation X-Men were on the school grounds. John Alvers was already halfway towards the mansion having ditched eighth hour. _It's only gym class, _he'd thought, _they won't even notice I'm gone. They don't know anything about me._

Rachel was meandering through the empty hallways when she heard footsteps rapidly approaching. Along with the footsteps was her brother's voice shouting her name.

"What Harrison? I'm right here," she said. Her little brother could be _so _annoying.

"You have to come to the courtyard! That Dirk Matthews kid is trying to beat up Brie!" He said while taking hold of one of her arms. Soon they were both running down the hall, towards the sound of a small mob chanting, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Rachel and her brother soon rounded a corner that lead them to the mayhem. Sure enough, there were about ten high school students standing in a semicircle around Brie and three boys. Brie looked scared but so far unharmed.

"_What can we do!?"_ Harrison shouted loud enough in his head for his sister to hear. The rest of this thoughts were incoherent but conveyed a message of fear and confusion.

An idea hit Rachel a second after her little brother's thoughts did.

_Of course, why didn't I think of that?_

Rachel, having the average childhood, knew plenty about that little voice in the back of your head. _All I have to do is convince him not to do this, like I'm his conscious or something._

Listening in on Dirk's thoughts was relatively quiet. Only a voice or two spoke, a very one tracked mind. Most of the thoughts had something to do with how he was going to "teach the Goth a lesson".

Almost as if he could sense he wasn't alone in his own mind, Dirk whipped his head around one hundred and eighty degrees to stare at Rachel. His thoughts were suddenly full of her. Rachel could see herself this morning walking to school through the eyes of someone else.

But his eyes weren't the only things at work.

Seeing his images also brought waves of Dirk's emotions to Rachel. She tried to identify them with some difficulty: curiosity, nervousness, and…_smitten_?

_Oh my god, Dirk Matthews _loves _me?!_

A gasp escaped his sister's lips, bringing Harrison's attention back to her. He quickly noted her unfocused gaze on Dirk Matthews.

"Rachel, are you alright? Rachel?" He touched her arm. She snapped her head to him, turning a little crimson, and said, "Yes," very softly.

Harrison continued to try to asses the situation but couldn't. He didn't have much time because a new figure was suddenly present on the scene.

He looked a little older than himself, so Harrison guessed he was sixteen. The new boy's expression changed rapidly from surprise to irritation. He asked coldly, "Brie, are you unharmed?"

Harrison's gaze shot to Brie who nodded slowly. Her burgundy eyes were wide with fear but seemed to be calming. The boy who'd spoken held out his hand to Brie. She walked timidly towards him and took his pale hand.

Just before the pale skinned duo was to leave, Dirk's attention refocused to them.

"Hey girl, we have unfinished business."

The boy dropped Brie's hand and turned back to Dirk. He opened his mouth to say something when Brie softly spoke his name, "Ronan."

The boy, Ronan, stopped mid step and turned back to Brie. They looked into each other's eyes before Brie said quietly, "Please just take me home."

"Alright," he replied. The duo lightly held hands as they walked away from the hysteria.

_No! _Dirk's inner voice screamed. _You can't let those two freaks walk away that easily!_

"Hey Ronan," he yelled while advancing on the freakishly vampire pair. "What makes you so damn sure you can just walk away?"

Ronan slowed a bit but didn't stop. Brie was tugging on his arm in the other direction.

Dirk was about ready to just grab that Ronan kid's shirt but his view was suddenly blocked. The boy from this morning had come to Brie's rescue, _again._

Peter Rasputin glared at him menacingly. But something was different. A little brunette stood timidly beside the huge Rasputin. The way he stood a little in front of her made Dirk think of a protective older brother.

This normally would've meant nothing, but to Dirk Matthews this was news. This was that hole in Rasputin's armor, the way to put him back in line.

_Let's just see how tough he is in front of little sister._

"I thought I told you to stay out of my way," Dirk said arrogantly as he strode right up to Peter.

"And I thought I told _you _to leave Brie alone."

The crowd let out a low "ooing" sound; they were obviously in favor of Dirk beating _someone _up. _Well then, let's give them what they came for._

And with that thought Dirk threw a right jab into that Rasputin kid's…

…Right into Peter's expectant hand. Peter caught the punch easily, too easily. He'd been in brawls before in Russia, mainly people just picked a fight with him because of his size, but this was different. This was nothing, almost like Dirk's fist wasn't there…

But Peter couldn't dwell on his thoughts for long; he had the more pressing issue: what to do with Dirk Matthews.

Peter effortlessly held Dirk's fist in his own. By this time Dirk's eyes had widened considerably with confusion. It didn't take Dirk long to commence trying in vein to free his hand.

"Hey, lemme go!" Dirk yelled. Peter ignored this and merely held him there as Dirk now tried to free his hand by pulling on it with his other. The look of fear remained plastered on his face and even grew more intense as he still couldn't get free.

Peter laughed internally at the look of trepidation on Dirk's face. He almost enjoyed those green eyes, so wide with fear that he felt he could simply fall into them…

But then the green eyes became brown ones. They still held a look of fear, but on a much smaller, more feminine face that belonged to…_Janelle_. His sister's face had replaced Dirk's.

Peter was momentarily stunned until he felt his half sister's small hands tugging on his shirt. She whispered his name and then said, "Please?"

It took great effort for Peter to unclench his fist, but he did. Immediately Dirk snatched his hand back and said, "Like I said before: don't get in my way again. Same thing goes for _her_," he said pointing at Janelle.

Just as Peter thought his temper was under control, Dirk had to go and threaten his sister. He almost struck Dirk's hand away from his sister, but decided against it. _That's all he needs, to get riled up again. I've already put Janie in enough danger, I don't need Dirk beating the crap out of her._

Dirk turned and walked away from Peter and Janelle, the mob dispersing quickly as well. They were soon out of sight, off to continue they're own lives, which left Peter to question his morals. Was he that much different than Dirk? They'd both come equally close to beating the other up, however it wouldn't have been much of a fight. _That doesn't matter; maybe this mutation has changed me… Maybe I'm not Peter anymore…_

Janelle shook beside her brother. He had a dazed look on his face, a much needed change from the madness that had tainted his features before. Janelle found that she could breathe again, not easily though.

Quiet footsteps from behind brought Janelle out of her breathing rhythm, making her jump slightly and turn. Brie and that boy, Ronan, Janelle thought, stepped around the corner of the school. They walked slowly forward until they stood next to Janie and Peter. Janie noted that the couple still held hands lightly yet kept respective distances between their bodies.

"Is anyone hurt," Ronan said in a slight New Jersey accent. When no one spoke up Janelle silently thanked God that no one was hurt. _That's all we'd need, on the first day of school to get into a fight _and _have someone get hurt._

A long pause ensued until Janelle felt her cell phone quivering in her pocket. She exclaimed, "Oh, I'm vibrating!"

"Hey Nel, it's John. I'm at the mansion, home I guess…" John said nonchalantly into his slim cell phone before his sister started yelling; she wanted to know "what part of wait didn't he understand".

"Hey yeah, whatever, listen! I got here and there wasn't _anyone_ home. Not even that bald guy. But the mansion let me in and everything from just a fingerprint scan. Anyhow, I'm just chillin' here. Oh yeah, there was a note saying we could order pizza. So talk to you whenever you get here I guess, bye." And with that said, John hung up on his sister. He turned off the small black cell and crashed on his new bed.

"John, John?" Janelle said feverently into her own cell phone. "Ugh," she said while snapping is shut and storing it in her pocket, "he hung up on me _and _turned his cell off."

"What did he…" Rachel trailed off while looking suspiciously at Ronan, "say?" she finally finished.

"Just that he's home alone," Janelle said while following Rachel's eyes to Ronan. His honey eyes met her own russet ones and she quickly looked away.

"So Brie, introduce us to your new friend," Peter said while standing up a little straighter.

Brie slightly blushed before answering, "Well this is Ronan. He's new here too."

"I was hoping you'd allow me to walk her home," Ronan said with sincere respect dripping off of every word. He looked them all momentarily in the eyes before resting on Peter for an answer.

"Sure, but our parents said we couldn't have anyone over so you can't stay long," Peter relied casually.

That was the one thing Janelle admired about her older half brother the most, his ability to think on his toes. She, on the hand, must've missed it. Every time she got flustered, Janelle would stutter or her words would run together.

Ronan nodded politely in return. Peter turned to begin the mile or so walk home when Harrison yelled, "Wait! Where's Martin?"

Harrison was surprised he hadn't noticed sooner. Martin was quiet but he was quickly becoming Harrison's friend.

He quickly whipped out his cell phone and was about to dial before the phone sprang to life. The screen on phone simply displayed a number, not having entered any of his new mutant friends' number into his phonebook yet.

"Hello?" he answered softly.

"Harrison, its Martin. I was hoping you hadn't made it home yet. Where are you?"

Harrison took a breath and said, "We're just hanging out in the courtyard. Where're you?"

"Sorry, I forgot to mention this morning that I'd need to stay at school a little late. I needed to finish filling out my international student registration."

"Oh, that's cool. Are you almost done?"

"Yes, I just finished. I will join you shortly."

"'Kay, bye." Harrison said while flipping his cell shut. "Martin'll be here in a minute."

The group was soon together, Ronan included, as they started the long walk home. Silence hung in the air the entire time, everyone too shy to start any real conversation. Every once in a while someone would comment on the weather or something else trivial like that but the discussion would die quickly. This left everyone in the group ample time to simply think of their own problems and, in return, ample time for Rachel to listen.

Rachel had started their walk ignoring her mother's advice and quietly listening in on individuals' conversation but that had come to a quick stop with Brie's mind. Brie was chatting quietly with Ronan out loud and her thoughts were full of him. Most of them were comprised with the big question: did her like her? Rachel was just as curious about Ronan's feelings. She'd tried multiple times to read his mind with no success, each time she only received static.

Listening to Brie's thoughts and feelings made Rachel relive her brief stay in Dirk's mind. _He loves me and he doesn't even know me…_ She was confused by this and yet strangely blissful. Someone of the opposite sex had finally noticed her for something more than just a friend. Rachel knew it was wrong to encourage him; Dirk was a creep after all, one that like to start fights with others. And yet, not knowing if this would happen to her ever again, Rachel considered the two of them together.

A few feet away Peter was walking briskly. He'd had to slow down several times to allow the others to keep up; he was too used to walking with his father. Peter would glance at Janelle several times, making sure she wasn't tiring yet, and then get back to his thoughts.

He hoped Rachel wasn't listening in as he doubted his self control. He wasn't sure if he could keep his cool composure the next time he saw Dirk Matthews. _Today had been a close call, I almost transformed in front of all of those people…and Janie. She'd never see me the same if I did, she'd hate me. _

A moment of silence passed in his head as a million unfinished thoughts flew through until one caught his attention. _Am I really any different from Dirk? _The question haunted him and no matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn't deliver a definite answer. Dirk may have thrown the first punch, but when he threatened Janie, Peter had almost retaliated.

The debate in his head continued all the way to the front gates of the mansion. They were wrought iron and enveloped in thick ivy vines. Peter reached them first and slightly pushed them. The gate was unlocked and swung open easily and didn't utter a single creak despite the bars old appearance.

He held the gate for the others and watched as Ronan and Brie had a private word. Peter noticed that Ronan lightly held one of Brie's hands in his, their skin tones matching perfectly. After another moment of silent gawking, Peter turned and headed toward the mansion.

"I like you Brie, a lot. I really want to get to know you better," Ronan said quietly as his topaz eyes looked deeply into Brie's scarlet ones.

"I like you too Ronan. I wish you could stay longer." A relatively long silence passed between the two before Brie finally said, "I'll be looking forward to see you again tomorrow, you make History enjoyable."

"Well thanks. But you, you make life enjoyable. I'll also be anticipating seeing you tomorrow. Sleep well," he said as he quickly closed the distance between them and lightly kissed Brie's cheek. Brie quickly went crimson and looked at the ground but couldn't hide the smile that had taken over her face.

"Bye," Ronan said as he turned to go.

"Bye," Brie replied softly. Her cheeks burned and she didn't want to go inside yet. The others would surly ask her why she was so red in the face and she'd have to give them the truth, Rachel reading minds and all. Instead Brie stayed just outside the fence of her new home until her cheeks stopped burning. She turned to head to the mansion and as she did she began skipping, too lighthearted to just walk.

_Maybe this place won't be so bad after all…_

_Play list:_

_Into the Ocean – Blue October_

_Hanging By a Moment – Lifehouse_

_Snow – Red Hot Chili Peppers_

_This Woman's Work – Kate Bush_

_Stuck In a Moment You Can't Get Out Of – U2_

_Just the Girl – The Click Five_

An almost direct quote from _X-Men Evolution _episode _Mainstream _(One of my favorite episodes of all time!)

_Author's Note- _

I haven't had much writing time lately which saddens me a great deal; it's like taking a part of me and trapping it in a tiny, confined box and never letting that piece see the beauty of the sun. [Poetic much?

Anyway…good news and bad news. Bad news: I haven't started the next chapter and I have no idea when I'm going to start it.  Good news: I have many ideas for the next chapter and in about a week and a half I'll have _so _much more time to devote to writing! Yay!


End file.
